let's discuss: the obsession with marilyn monroe

PODCAST
for extra content every Wednesday 😈

SUPPORT

SOCIALS

Edited by Israh S.

SOURCES
The Many Lives of Marilyn by Sarah Churchwell
Heavenly Bodies by Richard Dyer
Some Kind of Mirror by Amanda Konkle

[stan_dinghere]

the treatment of marylin's comedic acting reminds me of how men so often dont pick up on women's jokes and sarcasm, they just assume that women are being literal and stupid.

[Venya]

The fact that Hugh Hefner could BUY a final resting place next to Marilyn is appalling to me. And Kim Kardashian could just buy a fast wear of a dress Marilyn herself wished no one else would wear. People forget Marilyn was a person. You can be inspired but this is objectifying, the same thing that was done to her as a sex symbol when she lived.

[anais]

I assume marilyn’s comedy is often overlooked as well because we don’t typically view women as capable of being intentionally funny. Instead of acknowledging her character as a representation of marilyn’s comedic talent, we assumed that she WAS the over the top ditzy character, because somehow that was more believable to us than her being intentionally humorous

[DanaM-jnzb]

I also think the obsession may actually stem from her tragically early death. Hollywood has this obsession with female youth and a tendency to immediately throw away any women that age. However with Marilyn because she passed before ever reaching that point she became this immortalized picture of female innocence, youth and sexuality that Hollywood and pop culture could latch onto.

[alyssaortega]

The more and more I learn about Marilyn the person, the more and more I love and appreciate her. It's just so sad that she's not even person anymore but a marble deity.

[yamigurl]

It’s so sweet that she gave some of her will to her therapist

[GGMS]

Marilyn’s inability to have a baby, terminated pregnancies, drug use and anxiety could have been due to endometriosis. One of the 20 most painful conditions in the world and underrepresented in public and medical discourse. Women have to “grin and bear it” which often means they rely upon heavy medication to manage pain and function. Which then exacerbates mental health problems

[cysioserankiita]

I always feel deep sadness in my soul whenever Marilyn is mentioned. Her image is being dragged through so much, she deserves respectful remembrance, not exploitation and idolization after her death.

[chloegriggs]

It’s honestly so sad people sexualize her image, only knowing barely a portion of the real person she was; how amazing she was as a human being.

[fashionmusings]

the obsession with marilyn monroe has always been there but now with all these movies and documentaries and kim kardashian its become so crazy... you can be inspired by her without being weird and some things (like kim getting a lock of her hair) are just TOO MUCH. It's sad marilyn deserves better :(

[lincolny]

Imagine the outrage if a deceased male celebrity like Alan Rickman or Heath Ledger were to be treated the same way as Marilyn Monroe

[gingerboles]

I wish you had mentioned the men who bought grave sites around her. I don't remember their exact names but they're all buried in a morgue type grave sites where the bodies are stuck in individual tombs on top of each other. The man who bought the space directly above her said to lay his body face down so he could look at Marilyn Monroe for eternity. She doesn't get to escape prying eyes or her performance even in death.

[Robertdbd]

I think the reason Marilyn is an "obsession" to some people is the fact that she was so beautiful yet had a Tragic life. We are intriged by someone who has seemingly everything anyone could wish for but still be unhappy. She's really relatable to us (not the small waist and picture perfect look but her personality and how not everything was perfect.)

Also she's a fashion icon, her gentlemen prefer blondes pink dress is I think the most referenced or parodied dress ever.

[tsin]

it's disgusting that even decades after her death, others still continue to be exploit her

[idk-jycc]

Marilyn has always been an example to me of how the world treats women in general. Take and take and take and then judge you for falling apart due to their abuse.. overly sexulaized and her true personhood was never really appreciated. Smart and kind woman, but all anyone cares about Is how sexy she is.

[moonlily]

The reason she was so frequently late was because she had terrible stage fright. She wasn't being a diva, she was having anxiety attacks. Probably she had difficulty remembering her lines because she was on a lot of psychotropic drugs, various types of barbituates. She wasn't dumb, she was in a chemical brain fog.

[JustNicole]

I feel like Marilyn always resented her fame being connected to her sexuality. She knew she could get attention with her face and body but she wanted desperately for people to really see her as a person. My heart breaks for her, every man in her life took advantage of her.

[cherry.hrt]

I feel so bad for her she deserves to rest in peace. It's honestly gross how people don't treat her as a real person and just as a object to look at even after she died

[lubnasaleh]

To me I think admiring Marilyn Monroe for her sexual liberation is like admiring someone with an eating disorder for their thinness, it’s very unsettling

[giraffe]

"To see a woman so in charge of her sexuality..." Idk, to me it sounds like she did it out of necessity, not because she was glad to. And sure, that takes a level of guts. But it's also sad to be backed into that corner. That's not empowering.